


Sword and Shield

by Cheshyr



Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Protective Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23245417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheshyr/pseuds/Cheshyr
Summary: “Oh shit,” Slash muttered to himself, standing quickly, ignoring the questioning calls from his friends. Because if there was one thing he had learned about Axl, it was that he did not handle being hit on well.
Relationships: Axl Rose/Slash | Saul Hudson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	Sword and Shield

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the tumblr prompt, "You're safe now. I got you." with Slash/Axl

In hindsight, they probably should have just stayed in that night.

But the guys of Guns n’ Roses rarely managed to make it out for happy hour anywhere- always getting caught up in their own shit until the late hours of the night when all discounts were long gone. That night though, they had all been desperate to get out of their shitty hell house, barely focusing on any music in favor of making their way downtown to where the liveliest bars were. They were all in good spirits, happy to take in some of the nightlife and get fucked up for fun. 

Slash had his arm slung around Axl, grinning fondly as the redhead chattered about his favorite Queen songs. The two had been dating for about three weeks now, and despite being a bit of an odd couple (at least according to their bandmates) things were going well. They still clashed occasionally, but they always managed to make up before long, so Slash considered it a win.

Now, as they walked into the bar, they were just excited to take advantage of an hour of discounted drinks. It was busy, crowds of people all talking over each other and pressed together. The five rockers wasted no time shoving their way to the bar, getting their drinks before finding a table near the back. 

The mood was carefree and easy as they drank and joked together and time passed quickly. In seemingly no time at all, Axl was glancing down at his watch and standing, “I’m gonna go get us one more round before we have to start paying full price,” he grinned.

Slash laughed as the rest of the table cheered, the redhead rolling his eyes as he pressed through the crowds of people to make his way to the bar. Slash gazed after him, not even noticing the dopey smile on his face until Steven slugged him on the shoulder jokingly.

“You gotta reel that in dude,” the drummer teased, Duff and Izzy snickering as Slash flushed.

“Oh shut up,” he shoved him lightly, even as he laughed at himself. He knew the joking and pestering was just part of their friendship. He’d certainly ribbed the others plenty of times whenever they were lovesick.

Glancing back forwards, he cranes his neck until he can see a shock of red hair as the singer leans against the counter, waiting for the bartender to finish serving a group at the other end of the bar. When he sees a man approaching Axl, he doesn’t think anything of it at first, assuming he was just trying to get to the bar like everyone else. 

Then he sees the stranger slide his hand against Axl’s lower back.

“Oh shit,” Slash muttered to himself, standing quickly, ignoring the questioning calls from his friends. Because if there was one thing he had learned about Axl, it was that he did _not_ handle being hit on well.

It was mostly an issue when men came onto him, although he’d seen the singer get twitchy with particularly aggressive women as well. The first time Slash had hit on him, Axl had very nearly hit _him_. Luckily, Izzy had a freakish sixth sense when it came to Axl, and so he was able to step in before the confrontation turned physical. After the singer had stormed off, Slash had huffed, half angry and half heartbroken.

“Well, I guess I know his stance on gay guys now,” he muttered.

Izzy had glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and lighting one up casually as he shook his head, “Nah, it’s not that. You just moved too fast.”

Slash looked at him in confusion, “Huh?”

Rolling his eyes, Izzy exhaled a long stream of smoke, “Pretend he’s a stray cat, you’ll get a lot farther.”

Sputtering, Slash laughed incredulously, “What the fuck are you talking about, man?”

But Izzy never answered, just sauntered off and left Slash alone to ponder his words. 

Despite his doubts though, Izzy’s seemingly absurd advice had actually worked marvelously. If he just sat patiently in the same room as Axl, eventually the redhead would start chattering at him. If Axl got hissy, he backed off and the singer would calm down. And of course, he always had a better shot of getting on his good side if he had food with him. He was quiet, and patient, and let Axl come to him, until against all odds he found himself with Axl in his lap, hands tangled in his hair and purring into his mouth.

This stranger, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly exuding patience when Axl spun around and shoved his arm away. Slash could see the redhead’s mouth moving, glaring furiously as he probably snapped out a vicious rejection. But the other man simply grinned predatorily, leaning in to box the singer in against the bar.

Pushing his way through the crowd, Slash tried to get to the bar as quick as possible, but he knew. Watching Axl’s face was like watching the sky turn black- like seeing a storm it was too late to outrun. He watched Axl snarl something at the man as he moved to shove past him, and then the stranger was grabbing his upper arm in a tight grip, jerking the redhead back and pulling him closer, their faces inches apart. 

Fury burned in Slash’s stomach at the sight, and he felt no sympathy when Axl threw his head back, red hair cutting through the air before a loud _‘crack’_ rang out as he slammed his head violently against the guy’s nose.

The man screamed, stumbling back and clutching his broken and bloody nose. He cursed loudly, eyes blazing as he straightened up, clenching his fists and stepping towards the singer again. Slash knows that Axl can handle himself, but it’s his own rage that drives him to jump between them. The guy barely has time to even register the new addition to the fight before Slash is cutting his knuckles on his teeth. He crashes to the ground, blood splattering on the floor from his nose and mouth, and Slash stands over him menacingly, practically daring him to stand up just so he has an excuse to hit him again.

“Slash!” 

Duff’s voice draws his attention, and he looks up just as Axl storms past him, bolting out of the bar before the rest of the band can skid next to Slash, ignoring the bartender’s loud reprimands. 

Izzy pushes Slash towards the door, “Go check on him, we’ll meet up with you at home,” he says knowingly, Steven and Duff glaring down at the stranger, his face pale as he stays on the ground, too scared to even try to slink away.

Nodding, Slash runs out of the bar, whipping his head around until he caught sight of Axl ducking into an alleyway down the street. Following quickly, he finds him near the back of the alley, arms wrapped around himself and his forehead pressed against the dirty brick wall, hair falling like a curtain to hide his face.

Rushing towards him, he reached out to rub his back soothingly, “Hey, Ax, are you alright-?”

“Don’t _fucking_ touch me!”

Axl’s voice is a vicious snarl, but when he snaps around, he doesn’t look angry. His chest is heaving, gasping like he can’t get enough air, fingers digging into his own arms, teeth bared and eyes wide and almost glassy, like he’s not all there.

He looks scared.

Slash throws his hands up, taking half a step back as he stutters in surprise, “Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s just me, babe.”

He sees the muscle in Axl’s jaw twitch as he grinds his teeth, still breathing heavily through his nose as he stares at Slash unblinkingly. The guitarist tries to relax his body and exude calm even as he takes in the situation. He had assumed Axl would be angry- that’s how he’d always seemed after these situations. But this is different. His heart breaks at the fear he can see crackling under the other man’s skin. He suddenly wonders if this is what Axl had looked like after he ran off the first time Slash came onto him.

Across from him, Axl swallows thickly, blinking rapidly, “Slash?” He suddenly seems to crash back into his own body, flinching and clenching his eyes shut as he ran his hands through his hair roughly, “Fuck…” his voice cracked softly.

He doesn’t look up when Slash approaches him, but he doesn’t pull away when the guitarist reaches out slowly. Slash runs his hands gently up his arms, fingers brushing over the little half-moon indents left by his own nails before sliding around his back and pulling him against his chest.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he whispers into the soft red hair, feeling the singer’s breaths finally start to even out, “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

Slash holds him for a long time, stroking his hair as he relaxes beneath his hands, feeling the burn of protectiveness ignite within him, and he knows that after tonight, he’s going to handle Axl being hit on even worse than Axl does. 

But for now, he presses a kiss to the top of the singer’s head as he finally feels arms wrap around him in return, “You’re always safe with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up on tumblr @jaxl-road


End file.
